The digital sun sensor consists basically of a photodiode array and a prism on the array having a light-intercepting shade on its top surface. A slit is cut in the shade and a stripe of the sunlight is projected on the photodiode array. The incident angle of the sunlight theta, therefore, is converted into a function of the position x. The photodiodes are arranged in a Gray code pattern of seven bits. That is, each bit line generates photocurrent if the sunlight-falls on one of the photodiodes in that bit line. The photodiode array is formed in a single silicon chip of 20*4 mm. The width of the photodiode is adjusted according to nearly sec theta so that constant photocurrent is obtained independent of the sun-angle. One device has a visual angle of about 120 degrees along the length of the array and an angular resolution of +or-1 degree.
Development and spacecraft experiment of digital sun-aspect sensor
Entwicklung und Raumfahrzeug-Experiment mit einem digitalen Sonnenfuehler
1979
3 Seiten
Article (Journal)
English
RAUMFAHRT , PHOTODIODE , SENSOR , SONNE , CODE , AUFLOESUNGSVERMOEGEN , SILICIUM , CHIP
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